Method and apparatus for connecting short-range wireless communication in terminal

ABSTRACT

A method and an apparatus for connecting short-range wireless communication in a terminal are provided. The method includes connecting with an external device through a short-range wireless communication unit, and after connecting with the external device, providing information about at least one other connectable external device.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation application of prior application Ser.No. 13/973,404, filed on Aug. 22, 2013 which claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed on Feb. 21, 2013 inthe Korean Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial No.10-2013-0018882, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connectingshort-range wireless communication in a terminal. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a short-range wireless communicationconnection method and apparatus, by which a terminal can provideinformation about other connectable external devices selectable by theuser, after it is connected to a specific external device by short-rangewireless communication.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wi-Fi Hotspot network access technology, a short-range wireless accesstechnology, will soon be commercialized. A typical example of thistechnology is Hotspot 2.0, in which a terminal capable of Wi-Ficommunication can more easily access a public Wi-Fi network without theseparate user's input.

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a Wi-Fi Hotspot network system,and more particularly, illustrates a system configuration for new Wi-FiHotspot network access according to the related art.

This system uses a separate network discovery method in which a terminal10 can acquire external network information, and also has a separateinformation server 20 that manages and stores the external networkinformation.

For example, a Hotspot 2.0 system, a typical example of the abovesystem, has an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) for networkdiscovery, and also has an ANQP server for the information server.

Conventionally, in order to access an Access Point (AP) in a Wi-FiHotspot network, a user must check a list of APs using a Scan list, anddetermine whether a certain AP is an accessible or connectable AP, usingthe list of APs; in order to access a desired AP, the user must performa connection settings task. The related art connection settings taskperformed to select an AP using the Scan list and to access the selectedAP includes dropping the usability or ease of use for users who areunfamiliar with the Wi-Fi features. To overcome these disadvantages,Hotspot 2.0 technology aims to provide the usability to terminals suchas a cellular terminal.

The Hotspot 2.0 technology is based on the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11u standard, and provides enhancedsecurity by using Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2)-Enterprise security.In addition, Hotspot 2.0 technology provides a variety of otherfunctions, such as providing a Data Off-loading function of the cellularnetwork.

In the Hotspot 2.0 system, a terminal supports enhanced networkdiscovery using the 802.11u-based ANQP. The enhanced network discoveryoperation using ANQP is advantageous in that, before its access to anAP, the terminal can check a variety of following information, inaddition to the information that is acquired in the conventional scanprocess. Although the following information is provided in the currentstandard, the information can be further extended as a variety of usecases are developed.

-   -   3^(rd) Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Cellular Network        Information    -   Network Access Identifier (NAI) Realm List    -   Roaming Consortium List    -   Domain Name list    -   Venue Name Information    -   Operator Friendly Name    -   Internet Protocol (IP) Address Type Availability information    -   Wide Area Network (WAN) Metrics    -   Connection Capability    -   Operating Class Indication    -   Network Authentication Type information

A Homogeneous Extended Service Set Identifier (HESSID) uses one MediaAccess Control (MAC) address among Base Station Subsystem Identifiers(BSSIDs) of APs of a public network formed by a Hotspot serviceprovider, and the HESSID is a globally unique value. A terminal mayidentify a service provider using the HESSID. In other words, theservice provider has a single unique HESSID value. The HESSID isincluded in an interworking element of a beacon or a probe response sentby an AP.

In the Wi-Fi Hotspot network system illustrated in FIG. 1, each APconstituting a Base Station Subsystem (BSS) may provide BSS linkinformation to the terminal. For example, the terminal 10 may checkbeacon or probe response information by a scan operation, and BSS linkinformation is contained in the beacon or probe response. As the BSSlink information includes information such as a network load of BSS,channel utilization, and the number of connected terminals, the terminalmay determine the current utilization and load of the BSS based on theinformation.

In the Wi-Fi Hotspot network system, the terminal 10 may acquire linkinformation of the external network from the information server 20 byperforming network discovery. Based on the link information, theterminal 10 may acquire information (down link speed & load, uplinkspeed & load, and the like) about the external network connected to theAP.

In addition, the terminal 10 may perform automatic connection withoutuser involvement by acquiring, from the information server 20,information about a provider providing the Wi-Fi network, and connectioninformation including a connection method for connecting with the Wi-Finetwork.

FIG. 2 illustrates multiple Wi-Fi Hotspot network systems coexisting inthe same area according to the related art.

Referring to FIG. 2, multiple new Wi-Fi Network systems (or Hotspot 2.0systems) A and B, each having an information server outside its network,may coexist in the same area.

In this case, an AP capable of automatically connecting with theterminal 10 and an AP incapable of automatically connecting with theterminal 10 may coexist in the same area.

In the new Wi-Fi network system in which the terminal acquires networkinformation from the information server connected to the AP andautomatically connects with the AP, there is no specific provision thatindicates with which Wi-Fi network and AP the terminal should connect ifthe above situation occurs.

Hotspot 2.0, a typical example of the above system, provides that theterminal 10 has different priorities for pre-configured networks.Further, the standard provides an option of allowing the user to adjustthe priorities of the pre-configured networks.

In accordance with the specifications of the new system, the terminal 10may be pre-specified so that the Wi-Fi network provided by a specificprovider may have priority for the terminal 10. As to the way to givepriority to a specific provider, the specific provider selected by theuser may have priority, or the specific provider may be determined by apolicy specified by the network operator.

Alternatively, the terminal 10 may select a network by calculating thehighest quality at the connection time, and then automatically connectwith the selected network. Therefore, in the situation of FIG. 2, theterminal is automatically connected to the Wi-Fi network A having thehigher priority.

All of the above methods share the characteristic that the terminal isautomatically connected based on the pre-specified priority or by thealgorithm pre-defined in the terminal, without user intervention.

These ways to automatically connect with the network without userintervention may significantly contribute to an increase in theusability of the Wi-Fi features.

However, these automatic connection methods have disadvantages. Forexample, compared to the network to which the terminal is connectedbased on the priority, adjacent networks may have higher quality, and incertain areas, the user may want to use a network other than the networkto which the terminal is connected based on the pre-specified priority.Even though the terminal may have connected to the best availablenetwork at the time of the first connection, the best network may besubject to change over time due to the user's movements or externalfactors. Sometimes, the user may want to use free networks rather thanpay networks to which the terminal would be connected based on thepriority.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determinationhas been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention are to address at least theabove-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at leastthe advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the presentinvention is to provide a short-range wireless communication connectionmethod and apparatus, by which a terminal can automatically provideinformation about other connectable external devices, after the terminalis connected to a specific external device by short-range wirelesscommunication.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, ashort-range wireless communication connection method and apparatus areprovided. The terminal can provide information about other connectableexternal devices at a request of a user, after the terminal is connectedto a specific external device by short-range wireless communication.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, ashort-range wireless communication connection method and apparatus areprovided. The terminal can automatically connect with a preset externaldevice by short-range wireless communication according to informationabout a location of the terminal.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, amethod for connecting short-range wireless communication in a terminalis provided. The method includes connecting with an external devicethrough a short-range wireless communication unit, and after connectingwith the external device, providing information about at least one otherconnectable external device.

In accordance with yet still another aspect of the present invention, amethod for connecting short-range wireless communication in a terminalis provided. The method includes, upon request for connectingshort-range wireless communication, connecting with an external devicemeeting predetermined conditions among a plurality of external devicesdiscovered by a scan operation, after connecting with the externaldevice, informing of presence of other connectable external devices, ifa ‘View Other Connectable External Devices’ option is selected,detecting external devices having connection information matching withconnection information stored in the terminal, among a plurality ofexternal devices discovered by a scan operation, and providing a networklist that shows information about the detected external devices andconnection status information for each of the detected external devices.

In accordance with even still another aspect of the present invention,an apparatus for connecting short-range wireless communication in aterminal is provided. The apparatus includes a short-range wirelesscommunication unit, and a controller configured to provide informationabout at least one other connectable external device, after theapparatus is connected to an external device through the short-rangewireless communication unit.

In accordance with even yet another aspect of the present invention, anapparatus for connecting short-range wireless communication in aterminal is provided. The apparatus includes a short-range wirelesscommunication unit, and a controller configured to, upon request forconnecting short-range wireless communication, connect with an externaldevice meeting predetermined conditions among a plurality of externaldevices discovered by a scan operation, after connecting with theexternal device, to inform the presence of other connectable externaldevices, if a ‘View Other Connectable External Devices’ option isselected, to detect external devices having connection informationmatching with connection information stored in the terminal, among aplurality of external devices discovered by a scan operation, and toprovide a network list including information about the detected externaldevices and connection status information for each of the detectedexternal devices.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certainexemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparentfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a Wi-Fi Hotspot network systemaccording to the related art;

FIG. 2 illustrates multiple Wi-Fi Hotspot network systems coexisting inthe same area according to the related art;

FIG. 3 illustrates a structure of a terminal according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a first exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a second exemplary embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a third exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate examples of providing a network list accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a fourth exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood torefer to like parts, components, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplaryembodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skilled in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the embodiments described hereincan be made without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of theinvention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention is provided for illustration purpose only and not forthe purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claimsand their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

The terminal, to which exemplary embodiments of the present inventionare applicable, may include a mobile terminal and a fixed terminal. Themobile terminal, an easy-to-carry mobile electronic device, may includea video phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, an International MobileTelecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) terminal, a Wideband Code DivisionMultiple Access (WCDMA) terminal, a Universal Mobile TelecommunicationService (UMTS) terminal, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a PortableMultimedia Player (PMP), a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB)terminal, an E-book reader, a portable computer (for example, a laptopcomputer, a tablet computer and the like), a digital camera or the like.The fixed terminal may include a desktop Personal Computer (PC) and thelike.

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the short-rangewireless communication includes a Wi-Fi communication network capable ofsupporting Hotspot 2.0 in which the network is automatically switchedfrom the mobile communication network to the Wi-Fi communicationnetwork. The external device, to which a terminal is connected to overthe Wi-Fi communication network, is an Access Pont (AP), and includes atleast one of an AP supporting Hotspot 2.0 (or Hotspot 2.0-supported AP),which is connected to an information server, and an AP not supportingHotspot 2.0 (or Hotspot 2.0-unsupported AP), which is not connected tothe information server. The Hotspot 2.0-unsupported AP unconnected tothe information server is a general AP, which is connected to theterminal only if it is selected by the user, or which is automaticallyconnected to the terminal according to connection information stored inthe terminal in advance.

Therefore, in exemplary embodiments of the present invention, theexternal device will be referred to as an AP, the Hotspot 2.0-supportedAP connected to the information server will be referred to as a firstAP, and the Hotspot 2.0-unsupported AP unconnected to the informationserver will be referred to as a second AP.

FIG. 3 illustrates a structure of a terminal according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a Radio Frequency (RF) unit 123 is responsible forwireless communication of the terminal 100. The RF unit 123 may includean RF transmitter for up-converting a frequency of transmission signalsand amplifying the up-converted signals, and an RF receiver forlow-noise-amplifying (LNA) received signals and down-converting afrequency of the LNA-amplified signals. A data processor 120 may includea transmitter for coding and modulating the transmission signals and areceiver for demodulating and decoding the received signals. In otherwords, the data processor 120 may comprise a modulator/demodulator(modem) and a coder/decoder (codec). The codec may include a data codecfor processing packet data and the like, and an audio codec forprocessing audio signals such as voice. An audio processor 125 playsreceived audio signals output from the audio codec in the data processor120, using a speaker SPK, and transfers audio transmission signalspicked up by a microphone MIC to the audio codec in the data processor120.

A key input unit 127 includes character/numeric keys for enteringcharacter/numeric information, and function keys for setting a varietyof functions. The keys may be physical hard keys or virtual soft keyssuch as may be provided by a touch interface.

A memory 130 may be divided into a program memory and a data memory. Theprogram memory may store control programs for controlling the generaloperation of the terminal. In accordance with exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention, the program memory may store control programs forcontrolling to provide information about at least one other connectableAP, if the terminal is connected to a specific AP meeting thepredetermined conditions upon request for connecting short-rangewireless communication. The data memory may temporarily store datagenerated or received during execution of the control programs or othersoftware.

In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, thememory 130 stores connection information for detecting a connectable APamong a plurality of APs discovered by a scan operation, and theconnection information may include at least one of a connection methodand an authentication scheme.

The memory 130 stores information about an AP which is set on a priorityconnection basis for the information about the location where theterminal is located

A controller 110 controls the overall operation of the terminal.

In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, uponrequest for Wi-Fi connection, the controller 110 discovers a pluralityof APs by a scan operation, and sorts out first APs which are Hotspot2.0-supported AP, among the plurality of APs. The controller 110connects with a specific first AP meeting predetermined conditions (forexample, the predetermined priority, or the network quality at the pointof connection) among the sorted first APs.

After the terminal is connected to the specific first AP, the controller110 detects at least one other connectable first AP and providesinformation about the detected first AP.

In accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, if a ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option is selectedafter the terminal is connected to the specific first AP, the controller110 detects, as connectable first APs, the first APs having connectioninformation matching with connection information stored in the memory130, among the plurality of first APs discovered by a scan operation,and provides a network list showing information about the detected firstAPs and connection status information for each of the detected firstAPs. The connection status information may be shown or displayed in atleast one of a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), a data rate,a billing status (for example, a pay network or a free network), and anetwork provider type (for example, a home provider or a roamingpartner).

If the ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option is selected after theterminal is connected to the specific first AP, the controller 110discovers a plurality of first APs by a scan operation, and receivesnetwork information for each of the plurality of first APs through anAccess Network Query Protocol (ANQP) procedure with the informationserver connected to each of the plurality of discovered first APs. Thecontroller 110 determines whether connection information included in thenetwork information matches with the connection information stored inthe memory 130, and detects the network information having theconnection information matching with the connection information storedin the memory 130. The controller 110 detects a first AP correspondingto the detected network information as the connectable first AP. Theconnection information may include at least one of a connection methodand an authentication scheme.

In accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, after the terminal is connected to the specific first AP, thecontroller 110 checks a connection status value of the connectedspecific first AP. If the connection status value of the connectedspecific first AP is less than or equal to a threshold, the controller110 detects, as connectable first APs, first APs having connectioninformation matching with the connection information stored in thememory 130, among the plurality of first APs discovered by a scanoperation. The controller 110 provides a network list showinginformation about the detected first APs and connection statusinformation for each of the detected first APs. The connection statusinformation may be shown or displayed in at least one of an RSSI, a datarate, a billing status (for example, a pay network or a free network),and a network provider type (for example, a home provider or a roamingpartner).

If the connection status value of the specific first AP is less than orequal to a threshold after the terminal is connected to the specificfirst AP, the controller 110 discovers a plurality of first APs by ascan operation. The controller 110 receives network information for eachof the plurality of first APs through an ANQP procedure with theinformation server connected to each of the plurality of discoveredfirst APs. The controller 110 determines whether connection informationincluded in the network information matches with connection informationstored in the memory 130, detects the network information havingconnection information matching with the connection information storedin the memory 130, and detects a first AP corresponding to the detectednetwork information as the connectable first AP. The connectioninformation may include at least one of a connection method and anauthentication scheme.

In accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, if a ‘View Other Connectable External Devices’ option isselected after the terminal is connected to the specific first AP, thecontroller 110 discovers a plurality of APs by a scan operation, andsorts the plurality of plurality of discovered APs according to theirtype. The controller 110 sorts the plurality of discovered APs intofirst APs representing Hotspot 2.0-supported APs and second APsrepresenting Hotspot 2.0-unsupported APs.

The controller 110 may sort the plurality of APs into first APsrepresenting Hotspot 2.0-supported APs and second APs representingHotspot 2.0-unsupported APs, based on the information included in abeacon or probe response received from each of the plurality ofdiscovered APs.

The controller 110 receives network information for each of the sortedfirst APs through an ANQP procedure with the information serverconnected to each of the sorted first APs, and determines whetherconnection information included in the network information matches withthe connection information stored in the memory 130. The controller 110detects, as connectable first APs, the first APs corresponding to thenetwork information having connection information matching with theconnection information stored in the memory 130. The connectioninformation may include at least one of a connection method and anauthentication scheme.

The controller 110 detects, as connectable second APs, second APs whoseprevious connection information is stored in the memory 130, among thesorted second APs.

The controller 110 provides a network list that shows the first andsecond APs detected as connectable APs, and connection statusinformation for each of the detected first and second APs. Thecontroller 110 may display the first and second APs shown in the networklist in different ways. The connection status information may include atleast one of an RSSI, a data rate, a billing status, and a networkprovider type.

In accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, the controller 110 discovers a plurality of first APs by ascan operation, upon request for connecting Wi-Fi communication. Thecontroller 110 detects and connects with a specific first AP which isset in advance on a priority connection basis for the locationinformation of the terminal, among the plurality of discovered firstAPs. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, the controller 110 may detect location information of theterminal through a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver 180.However, the controller 110 may detect the location information of theterminal not only through the GPS receiver 180, but also by applying avariety of known methods.

If the location information of the terminal is changed, the controller110 discovers a plurality of first APs by a scan operation, and detectsand connects with a specific first AP which is set in advance on apriority connection basis for the changed location information of theterminal, among the plurality of discovered first APs.

If short-range wireless communication is performed for a predeterminedtime or more after the terminal is connected a specific first AP byshort-range wireless communication, the controller 110 sets the specificfirst AP on a priority connection basis for the current locationinformation of the terminal.

A camera unit 140 includes a camera sensor for capturing image or videodata and converting the captured optical image signals into electricalimage signals, and a signal processor for converting the analog imagesignals captured by the camera sensor into digital image data. Thecamera sensor may be a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) or ComplementaryMetal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, and the signal processor may beimplemented with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The camera sensor andthe signal processor may be implemented either integrally or separately.

An image processor 150 performs Image Signal Processing (ISP) to displaythe image signals output from the camera unit 140, on a display 160. TheISP may include gamma correction, interpolation, spatial variation,image effects, image scaling, Auto White Balance (AWB), Auto Exposure(AE), Auto Focus (AF), and the like. The image processor 150 processesimage signals output from the camera unit 140 on a frame basis, andoutputs frame image data according to the characteristics and size ofthe display 160. The image processor 150, which includes a video codec,compresses frame image data displayed on the display 160 anddecompresses the compressed frame image data into its original frameimage data, using a predetermined coding/decoding scheme. The videocodec may be a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) codec, a MovingPicture Experts Group 4 (MPEG4) codec, a Wavelet codec, and the like.The image processor 150 may have an On Screen Display (OSD) function.Under control of the controller 110, the image processor 150 may outputOSD data depending on the size of the displayed screen.

The display 160 displays, on its screen, the image signals output fromthe image processor 150 and the user data output from the controller110. A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) may be used as the display 160. Inthis case, the display 160 may include an LCD controller, a video memorycapable of storing image data, and an LCD panel. When implemented as atouch screen, the LCD may operate as an input unit. In this case, thesame keys as those on the key input unit 127 may be displayed on thedisplay 160.

If the display 160 is used as a touch screen unit as it is implementedin a touch screen fashion, the touch screen unit is comprised of a TouchScreen Panel (TSP) including a plurality of sensor panels, and thesensor panels may include a capacitive sensor panel capable of detectingtouches by a fingertip and an electromagnetic induction sensor panelcapable of detecting fine touches by a touch pen such as a stylus pen.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,after the terminal is connected to a specific first AP upon request forWi-Fi connection, the display 160 may display a network list thatincludes information about other connectable first APs and connectionstatus information for each of the connectable APs.

A Wi-Fi communication unit 170 is a short-range wireless communicationunit, and can be connected to a first AP which is a Hotspot2.0-supported AP, and a second AP which is a Hotspot 2.0-unsupported AP.

The GPS receiver 180 can detect the current location information of theterminal.

A short-range wireless communication connection operation in theabove-described terminal will be described in detail with reference toFIGS. 4 to 8.

FIG. 4 illustrates a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a first exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

The first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, if a ‘Wi-Fi On’ option is selected on the terminalin operation 401, the controller 110 performs a scan operation todiscover nearby APs in operation 402.

If a plurality of APs are discovered by the scan operation, thecontroller 110 may determine whether each of the APs is a first AP whichis a Hotspot 2.0-supported AP, or a second AP which is a Hotspot2.0-unsupported AP, based on information included in a beacon or proberesponse received from each of the plurality of discovered APs.

The beacon or probe response includes information about a serviceprovider providing the APs, and Base Station Subsystem (BSS) linkinformation (for example, network load, channel utilization, a number ofconnected terminals, and the like).

In the case of a first AP among the plurality of APs, the controller 110may perform an ANQP procedure of sending a query message to aninformation server connected to the first AP, and receiving networkinformation for the first AP from the information server in response tothe query message.

The network information received through the ANQP procedure may includethe information (for example, operator information, a connection scheme,a credential type used for connection, an authentication scheme, and thelike) that the terminal uses to connect with the first AP, and dataspeed information of the network.

If there is a plurality of first APs among the plurality of discoveredAPs in operation 403, the controller 110 connects with a specific firstAP (for example, a top-priority first AP) meeting predeterminedconditions among the plurality of first APs, in operation 404.

In operation 405, the controller 110 informs the user of the presence ofother connectable first APs except for the specific first AP to whichthe terminal is connected in operation 404, among the plurality of firstAPs which are discovered by the scan operation in operation 402.Informing the user of the presence of other connectable first APs may beautomatically displayed, or may be displayed if a specific menu option(for example, ‘Display Wi-Fi Connection Status Information’) is selectedby the user.

If a ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option is selected by the userin operation 406, the controller 110 performs the scan operation againin operation 407. The scan operation in operation 407 is performedtaking into account the movement of the terminal and/or the change inthe network environment.

The scan operation in operation 407 is performed in the same way as thescan operation in operation 402. In operation 408, the controller 110sorts a plurality of APs, which are discovered by the scan operation inoperation 407, into first APs and second APs.

Although it is assumed in the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention that the controller 110 performs the scan operation again inoperation 407 if the ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option isselected by the user, the controller 110 may optionally performoperation 408 where it can sort the plurality of APs which have beendiscovered in operation 402 by the initial scan operation into the firstAPs and the second APs, without the re-scan operation of operation 407,if the ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option is selected by theuser.

In operation 409, the controller 110 performs an ANQP procedure ofsending a query message to the information server connected to each ofthe plurality of sorted first APs, and receiving network information foreach of the first APs from the information server connected to each ofthe plurality of first APs in response to the query message.

The controller 110 may optionally omit the ANQP procedure of operation409, for the first AP having the network information which was receivedat and stored in the terminal through the previous ANQP procedure, amongthe plurality of first APs which were sorted in operation 408.

In operation 410, the controller 110 compares connection informationincluded in the network information received through the ANQP procedurewith the connection information stored in advance in the memory 130. Theconnection information may include at least one of a connection methodand an authentication scheme.

In operation 411, the controller 110 detects network information havingconnection information matching with the connection information storedin the memory 130, through the comparison process, and detects the firstAPs corresponding to the detected network information as otherconnectable first APs.

In operation 412, the controller 110 provides a network list that showsinformation about the detected other connectable first APs andconnection status information for each of the other connectable firstAPs.

If the user selects his/her desired first AP from the network listprovided in operation 412, the controller 110 performs connection to theselected first AP.

The connection status information shown in the network list may bedisplayed in at least one of an RSSI, a data rate, a billing status (forexample, a pay network or a free network), and a network provider type(for example, a home provider or a roaming partner). The informationabout other connectable first APs, which is shown in the network list,may be displayed in the order of priority depending on the connectionstatus information. For example, if the connection status information isshown in an RSSI, the information about other connectable first APs maybe displayed in the order of a high-RSSI AP.

Although it is assumed in the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention that a plurality of first APs are discovered, the controller110 may perform connection to one first AP regardless of thepredetermined conditions (for example, priority), if only one first APis discovered in operation 403.

If there is only one other connectable first AP, one other connectablefirst AP is shown in the network list, and if there is no otherconnectable first AP, the controller 110 may inform the user of theabsence of other connectable first APs.

FIG. 5 illustrates a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a second exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

The second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, if a ‘Wi-Fi On’ option is selected on the terminalin operation 501, the controller 110 performs a scan operation todiscover nearby APs in operation 502.

If a plurality of APs are discovered by the scan operation, thecontroller 110 may determine whether each of the APs is a first AP whichis a Hotspot 2.0-supported AP, or a second AP which is a Hotspot2.0-unsupported AP, based on the information included in a beacon orprobe response received from each of the plurality of discovered APs.

The beacon or probe response includes information about a serviceprovider providing the APs, and BSS link information (for example,network load, channel utilization, the number of connected terminals,and the like).

In the case of a first AP among the plurality of APs, the controller 110may perform an ANQP procedure of sending a query message to aninformation server connected to the first AP, and receiving networkinformation for the first AP from the information server in response tothe query message.

The network information received through the ANQP procedure may includeinformation (for example, operator information, a connection scheme, acredential type used for connection, an authentication scheme, and thelike) that the terminal uses to connect with the first AP, and dataspeed information of the network.

If there is a plurality of first APs among the plurality of discoveredAPs in operation 503, the controller 110 automatically connects with aspecific first AP (for example, a top-priority first AP) meetingpredetermined conditions among the plurality of first APs, in operation504.

In operation 505, the controller 110 informs the user of the presence ofother connectable first APs except for the specific first AP to whichthe terminal is connected in operation 504, among the plurality of firstAPs which are discovered by the scan operation in operation 502.Informing the user of the presence of other connectable first APs may beautomatically displayed, or may be displayed if a specific menu option(for example, ‘Display Wi-Fi Connection Status Information’) is selectedby the user.

In operation 506, the controller 110 checks a connection status value ofthe specific first AP, to which the terminal is connected. Theconnection status value may include at least one of an RSSI and a datarate.

If a connection status value of the specific first AP is less than orequal to a threshold in operation 507, the controller 110 performs ascan operation again in operation 508. The scan operation in operation508 is performed taking into account the movement of the terminal and/orthe change in the network environment.

The scan operation in operation 508 is performed in the same way as thescan operation in operation 502. In operation 509, the controller 110sorts a plurality of APs, which are discovered by the scan operation inoperation 508, into first APs and second APs.

Although it is assumed in the second exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention that the controller 110 performs the scan operation again inoperation 508 if the connection status value of the specific first AP isless than or equal to a threshold, the controller 110 may optionallyperform operation 509 where it can sort the plurality of APs which havebeen discovered in operation 502 by the initial scan operation into thefirst APs and the second APs, without the re-scan operation of operation508, if the connection status value of the specific first AP is lessthan or equal to the threshold.

In operation 510, the controller 110 performs an ANQP procedure ofsending a query message to the information server connected to each ofthe plurality of sorted first APs, and receiving network information foreach of the first APs from the information server connected to each ofthe plurality of first APs in response to the query message.

The controller 110 may optionally omit the ANQP procedure of operation510, for the first AP having the network information which was receivedat and stored in the terminal through the previous ANQP procedure, amongthe plurality of first APs which are sorted in operation 509.

In operation 511, the controller 110 compares connection informationincluded in the network information received through the ANQP procedurewith the connection information stored in advance in the memory 130. Theconnection information may include at least one of a connection methodand an authentication scheme.

In operation 512, the controller 110 detects network information havingconnection information matching with the connection information storedin the memory 130, through the comparison process, and detects the firstAPs corresponding to the detected network information as otherconnectable first APs.

In operation 513, the controller 110 provides a network list that showsinformation about the detected other connectable first APs andconnection status information for each of the other connectable firstAPs.

If the user selects his/her desired first AP from the network listprovided in operation 513, the controller 110 performs connection to theselected first AP.

The connection status information shown in the network list may bedisplayed in at least one of an RSSI, a data rate, a billing status (forexample, a pay network or a free network), and a network provider type(for example, a home provider or a roaming partner). The informationabout other connectable first APs, which is shown in the network list,may be displayed in the order of priority depending on the connectionstatus information. For example, if the connection status information isshown in an RSSI, the information about other connectable first APs maybe displayed in the order of a high-RSSI AP.

Although it is assumed in the second exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention that a plurality of first APs are discovered, the controller110 may perform connection to one first AP regardless of thepredetermined conditions (for example, priority), if only one first APis discovered in operation 503.

If there is only one other connectable first AP, one other connectablefirst AP is shown in the network list, and if there is no otherconnectable first AP, the controller 110 may inform the user of theabsence of other connectable first APs.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a third exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

The third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 3, 6A and 6B.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, if a ‘Wi-Fi On’ option is selected on theterminal in operation 601, the controller 110 performs a scan operationto discover nearby APs in operation 602.

If a plurality of APs are discovered by the scan operation, thecontroller 110 may determine whether each of the APs is a first AP whichis a Hotspot 2.0-supported AP, or a second AP which is a Hotspot2.0-unsupported AP, based on the information included in a beacon orprobe response received from each of the plurality of discovered APs.

The beacon or probe response includes information about a serviceprovider providing the APs, and BSS link information (for example,network load, channel utilization, a number of connected terminals, andthe like).

In the case of a first AP among the plurality of APs, the controller 110may perform an ANQP procedure of sending a query message to aninformation server connected to the first AP, and receiving networkinformation for the first AP from the information server in response tothe query message.

The network information received through the ANQP procedure may includeinformation (for example, operator information, a connection scheme, acredential type used for connection, an authentication scheme, and thelike) that the terminal uses to connect with the first AP, and dataspeed information of the network.

If there is a plurality of first APs among the plurality of discoveredAPs in operation 603, the controller 110 automatically connects with aspecific first AP (for example, a top-priority first AP) meetingpredetermined conditions among the plurality of first APs, in operation604.

In operation 605, the controller 110 informs the user of the presence ofother connectable first APs except for the specific first AP to whichthe terminal is connected in operation 604, among the plurality of firstAPs which are discovered by the scan operation in operation 602.Informing the user of the presence of other connectable first APs may beautomatically displayed, or may be displayed if a specific menu option(for example, ‘Display Wi-Fi Connection Status Information’) is selectedby the user.

If a ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option is selected by the userin operation 606, the controller 110 performs a scan operation again inoperation 607. The scan operation in operation 607 is performed takinginto account the movement of the terminal and/or the change in thenetwork environment.

The scan operation in operation 607 is performed in the same way as thescan operation in operation 602. In operation 608, the controller 110sorts a plurality of APs, which are discovered by the scan operation inoperation 607, into first APs and second APs.

Although it is assumed in the third exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention that the controller 110 performs the scan operation again inoperation 607 if the ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option isselected by the user, the controller 110 may optionally performoperation 608 where it can sort the plurality of APs which have beendiscovered in operation 602 by the initial scan operation into the firstAPs and the second APs, without the re-scan operation of operation 607,if the ‘View Other Connectable First APs’ option is selected by theuser.

If the type of the sorted AP is a first AP in operation 609, thecontroller 110 performs in operation 610 an ANQP procedure of sending aquery message to the information server connected to each of theplurality of first APs, and receiving network information for each ofthe first APs from the information server connected to each of theplurality of first APs in response to the query message.

The controller 110 may optionally omit the ANQP procedure of operation610, for the first AP having the network information which was receivedat and stored in the terminal through the previous ANQP procedure, amongthe plurality of first APs which are sorted in operation 608.

In operation 611, the controller 110 compares connection informationincluded in the network information received through the ANQP procedurewith the connection information stored in advance in the memory 130. Theconnection information may include at least one of a connection methodand an authentication scheme.

In operation 612, the controller 110 detects network information havingconnection information matching with the connection information storedin the memory 130, through the comparison process, and detects the firstAPs corresponding to the detected network information as otherconnectable first APs.

If the type of the sorted AP is a second AP in operation 613, thecontroller 110 detects in operation 614 as other connectable second APsthe second APs whose connection information is stored as their previousconnection history, among the plurality of second APs.

In operation 615, the controller 110 provides a network list that showsinformation about the detected first APs and the detected second APsseparately, and shows connection status information for each of thedetected first and second APs.

If the user selects his/her desired first AP or second AP using thenetwork list provided in operation 615, the controller 110 may performconnection to the selected first AP based on the already stored networkinformation, and perform connection to the selected second AP based onthe already stored connection information.

The connection status information shown in the network list may bedisplayed in at least one of an RSSI, a data rate, a billing status (forexample, a pay network or a free network), and a network provider type(for example, a home provider or a roaming partner). The informationabout other connectable first APs, which is shown in the network list,may be displayed in the order of priority depending on the connectionstatus information. For example, if the connection status information isshown in an RSSI, the information about other connectable first APs maybe displayed in the order of a high-RSSI AP.

Although it is assumed in the third exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention that a plurality of first APs are discovered, the controller110 may perform connection to one first AP regardless of thepredetermined conditions (for example, priority), if only one first APis discovered in operation 603.

If there is only one other connectable first AP, one other connectablefirst AP is shown in the network list, and if there is no otherconnectable first AP, the controller 110 may inform the user of theabsence of other connectable first APs.

FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate examples of providing a network list accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

In the example of FIG. 7A, if a ‘View Wi-Fi Connection StatusInformation’ option selected by the user after the terminal is connectedto a high-priority first AP upon request for Wi-Fi connection, theterminal may display an information screen 710 showing connection statusinformation of the currently connected Wi-Fi. Referring to FIG. 7A, in aspecific area 701 of the information screen 710, the terminal shows thepresence of other connectable first APs while it is connected to thehigh-priority first AP. In accordance with the first exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, if an icon “Tab” placed in thespecific area 701 is selected by the user, the terminal may detect otherconnectable first APs, and then provide a network list 720 that showsinformation 721 about the other connectable first APs and connectionstatus information (for example, RSSI) 722 for each of the otherconnectable first APs, as illustrated in FIG. 7B.

In accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, if a connection status value of the first AP to which theterminal is connected is less than or equal to a threshold, while theterminal is connected to the high-priority first AP upon request forWi-Fi connection, then the terminal may display the network list asillustrated in FIG. 7B.

In accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, if the icon “Tab” placed in the specific area 701 of theinformation screen 710 is selected by the user as in FIG. 7A, theterminal may detect other connectable first and second APs, and thenprovide the network list 720 that shows information 721 a and 721 cabout other connectable first APs and information 721 b about otherconnectable second APs separately, and shows connection statusinformation (for example, RSSI) 722 for each of the other connectablefirst and second APs, as illustrated in FIG. 7C.

The network information received through the ANQP procedure may includeinformation about a variety of services provided by the serviceprovider. Therefore, when providing the network list 720 illustrated inFIG. 7B or 7C, the terminal may also display information about theservices provided by the service provider of the first AP. For example,if “Another connectable Hotspot 2.0 AP 2” in the network list 720illustrated in FIG. 7B or 7C indicates a first AP that is installed at apoint of “Coffee Shop A”, not only connection status information 722(for example, an RSSI), but also service information (for example, aUniform Resource Locator (URL) address at which the terminal can access“Coffee Shop A”, an icon indicating a downloadable coupon, and a phonenumber, which can be saved or to which a call can be sent) may bedisplayed in the area where “Another connectable Hotspot 2.0 AP 2” isshown in the network list 720.

FIG. 8 illustrates a process of connecting short-range wirelesscommunication in a terminal according to a fourth exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

The fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 8.

Referring to FIG. 8, if a ‘Wi-Fi On’ option is selected on the terminalin operation 801, the controller 110 performs a scan operation todiscover nearby APs in operation 802.

If a plurality of APs are discovered by the scan operation, thecontroller 110 may determine whether each of the APs is a first AP whichis a Hotspot 2.0-supported AP, or a second AP which is a Hotspot2.0-unsupported AP, based on information included in a beacon or proberesponse received from each of the plurality of discovered APs.

The beacon or probe response includes information about a serviceprovider providing the APs, and BSS link information (for example,network load, channel utilization, a number of connected terminals, andthe like).

In the case of a first AP among the plurality of APs, the controller 110may perform an ANQP procedure of sending a query message to aninformation server connected to the first AP, and receiving networkinformation for the first AP from the information server in response tothe query message.

The network information received through the ANQP procedure may includethe information (for example, operator information, a connection scheme,a credential type used for connection, an authentication scheme, and thelike) that the terminal uses to connect with the first AP, and the dataspeed information of the network.

If there is a plurality of first APs among the plurality of discoveredAPs in operation 803, the controller 110 detects information about thecurrent location where the terminal is located, using the GPS receiver180, in operation 804.

After detecting the location information of the terminal, the controller110 detects information about a specific first AP which is set on apriority connection basis in the current location of the terminal, amongthe APs which are set depending on the location information of theterminal, and information about which is stored in the memory 130. Ifthere is information about a specific first AP which is set on apriority connection basis, among the plurality of discovered first APs,the controller 110 automatically performs connection to the specificfirst AP based on the network information of the specific first AP inoperation 805.

If there is no information about the specific first AP which is set on apriority connection basis, among the plurality of discovered first APs,the controller 110 automatically performs connection to a first APmeeting the predetermined condition (for example, the priority, or thenetwork quality in the connected state), among the plurality ofdiscovered first APs.

Thereafter, if there is a change in the location information of theterminal in operation 806, the controller 110 performs a scan operationin operation 807.

The scan operation in operation 807 is the same as the scan operation inoperation 802. Therefore, if a plurality of first APs are discovered bythe scan operation in operation 807, the controller 110 detectsinformation about a specific first AP which is set on a priorityconnection basis depending on the changed location information of theterminal, among the APs which are set depending on the locationinformation of the terminal, and information about which are stored inthe memory 130. If there is information about the specific first APwhich is set on a priority connection basis, among the plurality ofdiscovered first APs, the controller 110 automatically performsconnection to the specific first AP based on the network information ofthe specific first AP, in operation 808.

Referring to FIG. 8, in order to set a specific first AP on a priorityconnection basis depending on the location information of the terminal,if communication is performed for a predetermined time or more after theterminal is connected to a specific first AP by Wi-Fi communication, thecontroller 110 may store the specific first AP in the memory 130 as afirst AP which is set on a priority connection basis for the currentlocation information of the terminal.

At least one specific first AP, which can be set on a priorityconnection basis for each location by the user, may be selected andstored.

The short-range wireless communication connection method proposed by thepresent invention may be implemented as computer-readable codes innon-transient computer-readable recording media. The non-transientcomputer-readable recording media may include all kinds of recordingdevices storing computer-readable data. Examples of the recording mediamay include Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), opticaldisks, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, hard disks, non-volatile memoriesand the like. The non-transient computer-readable recording media may bedistributed over the networked computer systems, so thecomputer-readable codes may be stored and executed in a distributedmanner.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, in the short-rangewireless communication connection method and apparatus provided by thepresent invention, if a terminal is connected to a specific externaldevice meeting predetermined conditions, the user may select and accesshis/her desired external device among other external devices connectablein the current location. The user may easily switch to the desirednetwork as he/she receives information about other external devicesconnectable in the current location, making it possible to maximize theusability.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference tocertain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a communicationcircuitry; and a processor adapted to: discover, via the communicationcircuitry, one or more electronic devices using a scan while maintaininga first communication connection with a first electronic device externalto the apparatus; obtain, via the communication circuitry, informationrelated to the one or more electronic devices using an access networkquery protocol (ANQP); select a second electronic device from the one ormore electronic devices based at least in part on the informationrelated to the one or more electronic device; and establish, via thecommunication circuitry, a second communication connection with thesecond electronic device in replacement of the first communicationconnection.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising memory,wherein the processor is further adapted to: select, based at least inpart on matching a portion of the information with data stored in thememory, an electronic device corresponding to the portion among the oneor more electronic devices, as the second electronic device.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to:select a previously connected device among the one or more electronicdevices, as the second electronic device.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the processor is further adapted to: request the informationrelated to the one or more electronic devices using the ANQP prior tothe obtaining.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor isfurther adapted to: perform the selecting based at least in part on adetermination that status information with respect to the firstcommunication connection satisfies a specified condition.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein the status information comprises areceived signal strength indication (RSSI), a data rate, a billingstatus, a network provider type, or a combination thereof.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein theprocessor is further adapted to: present, via the display, an indicationof status information corresponding to the second communicationconnection.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information isprovided from the server to the one or more electronic devices using theANQP, prior to the obtaining.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further adapted to: release the first communicationconnection, in relation with the establishing of the secondcommunication connection.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecommunication circuitry comprises a Wi-Fi communication circuitry. 11.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronic devicescomprise an access point (AP) supporting Hotspot 2.0.
 12. An apparatuscomprising: a short-range wireless communication circuitry; and aprocessor adapted to: establish, via the short-range wirelesscommunication circuitry, a first communication connection with a firstelectronic device external to the apparatus; determine that statusinformation related to the first communication connection with the firstelectronic device satisfies a specified condition; discover, via theshort-range wireless communication circuitry, one or more electronicdevices by using a scan while maintaining the first communicationconnection, based at least in part on the determining that the statusinformation satisfies the specified condition; transmit a requestsignal, with respect to network information related to the one or moreelectronic devices, to the one or more electronic devices, the networkinformation being stored in a server operatively connected to the one ormore electronic devices, wherein the one or more electronic devices canrequest the network information from the server using the requestsignal; receive the network information from the one or more electronicdevices, in response to the request signal, the network informationbeing provided from the server to the one or more electronic devices;select a second electronic device from the one or more electronicdevices based at least in part on the network information; andestablish, via the short-range wireless communication circuitry, asecond communication connection with the second electronic device inreplacement of the first communication connection.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted to: perform thetransmitting or the receiving, based at least in part on an 802.11ustandard.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising memory,wherein the processor is further adapted to: select, based at least inpart on matching a portion of the network information with data storedin the memory, an electronic device corresponding to the portion amongthe one or more electronic devices, as the second electronic device. 15.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted to:perform the selecting further based at least in part on locationinformation of the apparatus.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, furthercomprising a display, wherein the processor is further adapted to:present, via the display, a user interface including a first indicationof the one or more electronic devices and a second indication ofconnection status information corresponding to the second electronicdevice.
 17. An apparatus comprising: a short-range wirelesscommunication circuitry; and a processor adapted to: discover, via theshort-range wireless communication circuitry, one or more electronicdevices including a second electronic device external to the apparatusby using a scan while maintaining a first communication connection witha first electronic device external to the apparatus via the short-rangewireless communication circuitry, the first electronic devicecorresponding to a first service set identifier (SSID), the secondelectronic device corresponding to a second SSID different from thefirst SSID; obtain, via the short-range wireless communicationcircuitry, information related to the second electronic device from oneor more electronic devices, the information provided from a serveroperatively connected to the second electronic device; select the secondelectronic device from the one or more electronic devices based at leastin part on the information related to the second electronic device; andestablish, via the short-range wireless communication circuitry, asecond communication connection with the second electronic device inreplacement of the first communication connection.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 17, wherein the processor is further adapted to: communicate, aspart of the obtaining, with the one or more electronic devices using anaccess network query protocol (ANQP).
 19. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the first electronic device is operated by a home provider andthe second electronic device is operated by a roaming partner.
 20. Theapparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further adapted to:perform the selecting based at least in part on a determination thatstatus information with respect to the first communication connectionsatisfies a specified condition.